Daily Declutter

Today is the last day of school! I'm so excited for summer, and I'm so excited to be done with the responsibilities of school for a while. We have a full schedule, but once school is over it lightens up a lot -- we don't have to leave the house early, I don't have to have packed or packable lunches, I don't have to nag people to complete and turn in homework.

I was feeling motivated to declutter something today. I can't deal with my daughter's desk in the kitchen (and the lunch bags lying around, and the general mess she has created) until school gets out. But I tackled the wrapping supplies I have had under the bed. Under the bed is a storage space that keeps stuff out of the way, but it still looks messy to me, having a plastic tote peeking out. Especially since my bedroom is situated so I can see it from the kitchen. I finally looked through that tote, and I found that it was full of stuff that I don't use, and things I will probably never use. I had three rolls of plain wrapping paper -- but I don't wrap things in paper, I use reusable gift bags. Those paper rolls have been there literally for years, and I have had to keep the large storage tote to fit those rolls that I never use. In the next week or two I will decorate these blank rolls and they will be included in the "everything you need to wrap Christmas presents" gifts I give to 4H leaders and people like that. The wrap will be both used and gone.

Getting rid of the tote under the bed is pretty exciting to me. The remainder of the gift wrap went into an adorable vintage suitcase, and it is now living in the bottom of my closet, looking cute. I was planning to use a vintage hatbox suitcase, but that was fiddly to open and sort of odd-smelling on the inside. I decided to let that go to someone who will enjoy it exclusively for its exterior, and it is off to the thrift shop.

I also spent a couple hours weeding. Does weeding count as decluttering?

Daily Declutter

Sometimes the clutter turns invisible, and I overlook it. During the winter my husband keeps a couple of overshirts and a sweatshirt by the front door, so he can grab something warm on his way out the door. However, that season is passed, but his clothes continued to hang by the front door. I finally noticed, and they are now in the laundry, on their way out to the shed.

Likewise, I had a couple gallon storage jars sitting on the floor near a cabinet (out of the way). I finally realized that I have room to store these inside the cabinet now, since I've cleared out a lot of the stuff that was in there. More clutter gone.

I posted a toy to Craigslist, dropped an ebay package at the post office, and dropped a bag of jewelry at a the historical society for their shop. I spoke to the main office of the historical society, and they do want some local ephemera for their collection; I will stop by next week to drop those off in the collections office. I rehomed some clutter that's been piling up, and I tossed a shopping bag that has a hole in the bottom. I've had this bag for a long time, and I never use it because it has a hole. By getting rid of it, I will no longer have the frustration of picking up a bag with a hole then returning it to the car for another one before I can go into the store. Why would it take me so long to do this simple thing?

I am really looking forward to tomorrow afternoon, when all school materials must be turned in. The schoolbooks that are cluttering every flat surface will be out of the house, and I can begin working on some of the clutter the kids have accrued in binders, desks and floors (sigh).

This summer we will be redecorating my daughter's bedroom. I have new bedding and some decorative objects for her room; as soon as we have her room painted I can move her new decor into her room and out of my storage spaces. Us it or lose it, and we're finally going to use some of the stuff I've been storing for years!

Daily Declutter

This weekend I reread the first couple Cherry Ames books I had saved for my daughter. There were fun, and a nice relaxing read for this weekend. My daughter admitted that she has no interest in every reading them, so they can go to ebay and someone else who will love them. The stories were especially interesting from a historical perspective; the nursing program was very different from the program nurses follow now. Also, the first books are set during World War II, which adds an additional historical element. (In later books Cherry serves as a Dude Ranch Nurse and a Department Store Nurse, among other titles, which makes me curious about what was going on back then!) Today I will need to photograph and post these books in anticipation of moving a box of books out of the shed.

I decluttered a vintage Nancy Drew title that got lost and didn't get posted with the Nancy Drew books I sold earlier. It's not worth it to sell one book.

I also successfully found a home for the sewing machine and wringer washer my daughter no longer wants. The friend who gave them to us in the first place is happy to have them back. I'm glad they'll have a good home so quickly! I have a load of donations in the truck; after I drop them off at the thrift shop I'll load of these things and drop them off too. I'll have a bunch of new space by this weekend!

I finished emptying the chest freezer. Now all I have to do is empty out the water (it is not frost free!) and it can sit idle for a while. If I need to fill it this summer I will be happy to have it, and if I don't need to fill it this summer I will have evidence that it is not needed, so I can convince my husband to get rid of it.

Looking over what I've done today, I'm please that I've done so much. Granted, not much physically moved out of the house today, but I moved a lot out of my brain; things that were in my mind as "things I need to deal with" have had decisions made, and actions taken, and now they only need wait until someone else moves (or I drop off other stuff) so I can finish what I have decided to do. It feels almost the same, emotionally, as actually getting rid of stuff. Especially since I'm storing things in the shed until I actually get rid of them. (This is not a good strategy unless I already have a plan for them to leave permanently.)

Clutter-free Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day is just around the corner, lurking. Somehow, I always find Father's Day to be more difficult than Mother's Day (possibly because I have to get my husband a gift, and not the other way around). Since I compiled a list for Mother's Day I thought I'd try a similar list for the men.

Rachel at Nourishing Minimalism has a great list, and I'm using a few of her ideas here.

I prefer to give homemade gifts, in part because the people in my life mostly buy what they need when they need it, and they don't have a lot of "wants." But they do often have interests that can be supported. I'm sure the men in your life will have some different interests than mine, so approach their gift giving from the perspective of "what do they like" instead of "what do they want" for clutter-free ideas.

My dad likes to eat, and he likes scorching-hot foods. Seriously, he has on hot sauce that the grandkids aren't allowed to touch because it's so hot, and he has to wash his hands after he uses it. I plan to make him hot sauce. I've made Thai chilis in vinegar before, but I've also seen sriracha recipes on Pinterest. Chili oil, for salad dressing, dipping bread, or barbecued meat would also be a great option. Many men have an interest in food, one way or another, that can be supported with gift giving. (Rubs or sauces for the grill enthusiast, for example.)

My husband immediately suggested tickets to a baseball game. If you don't live near a major league park, all the better! I love our minor league team more than our major league team, and a day out there with snack and beer is a great way to celebrate Dad. If you need a souvenir of the day, keep score and bring the record home. If baseball's not his thing there are lots of other sports, or even tickets to the theatre (there are lots of summer festivals that are worth exploring).

Museum tickets (for the day or the year) are another way to support his interests. We have a machinery museum, a railroad museum and a maritime museum near us, all of which are traditionally masculine interests, in addition to the local history museum and the air and space museum. Taking him and showing interest in his interests is a good way to connect with your dad, or you can give him a chance to geek-out with other people who are really enthusiastic about his interests.

My last suggestion is for a service that he doesn't want to do. I know I'd be thrilled (mostly) to have someone else clean my house (I'd have to clean it first myself, because I have issues, but that's another subject). Give him a certificate to clean the garage, an oil change, lawn service, or clean the house -- whatever his personal chores fall out to be. Someone can haul away the old shed in the back yard, or even lay the patio he's been wishing for.

Clutter-free gifts are often challenging to conceive because so much of our culture is focused on material gifts, and having "something to open" at gift-giving occasions. I hope my list can be a springboard for your creative gift giving!

Daily Declutter

I don't usually write anything on weekends, but today was special and I feel it needs recognition: when I got home from my daughter's dance class (and grocery trip) my husband was almost done cleaning the garage! We can park both vehicles in the garage again!

This was especially challenging because we have an enormous truck, and it takes up a lot more room than the old car. My wonderful husband got rid of a bunch of stuff (in said truck, to take to the thrift store), some stuff went to school (if he wants to keep clutter there I will not say anything about it), and some was just stored better. The almost-empty shelving unit is still there and still almost empty, but for the time being I will just let it stay empty. Hopefully he will get used to the idea that we don't need to fill it up with anything. Or we will need it, I'll be wrong and we'll be happy we have it. Stranger things have happened.

I couldn't finish my shopping trip yesterday because the police helicopters were circling the store I wanted to go to, and I just didn't need to go that badly. So today I finished up (we were out of oatmeal, among other things. Oatmeal will be used in end-of-the-year gifts of granola or muesli for the teachers), then went to the zoo and watched the orangutans for a while. I did not go shopping, as much as I was tempted. I do not need anything, and I could not even invent anything that I needed. I was better off at the zoo, although the orangutans always make me sad because they have such sad faces, and such sad fates.

On an unrelated note, we picked up my daughter from school yesterday and we went to see Wonder Woman. I was very hopeful for this film, and it lived up to my every expectation. I am so happy with how it turned out -- I was so happy to take my 12 year old daughter to see a superhero movie with characters she can admire. (So far she's been really interested in Black Widow from the Avengers, and I'm not 100% comfortable with that.) The script was good, the actors were very good, and the setting was beautiful (except for the war parts which were not gratuitous. In fact, at one point a queue of wounded soldiers are leaving the front, and they were less gruesome that accounts I have read.) If you are considering going to see it, I definitely recommend you go!

Daily Declutter

Today is shopping day. I have a menu made out, my shopping list written up. I just have to get it all done in an hour and a half while my son is in class. More likely he'l have to wait in the media center for a bit, but he can use that time to study for finals.

List night I had a hard conversation (for me) with my daughter. Years ago she was really into Little House on the Prairie, and she received a couple of antiques to help her play "olden days." I had the only little girl (5 years old?) who was ecstatic to receive an old wringer and washtub for her birthday. She's wash doll clothes with it, and even bought a washboard to go with it. But she hasn't used it in years, or the treadle sewing machine she received a couple years later, and they both take up a lot of space. So last night I asked if she still wanted them...and she was completely causal about getting rid of them. "Oh, no, I had forgotten about that, and I don't think I'll ever use it again." I've been putting off asking her, but it was so easy! Next chance I get I'll post them to Craigslist, and move them out!

That's about all the productive I'll be today. Go shopping, put food away, then we're off to see Wonder Woman, then a family birthday. I really, really, hope Wonder Woman is good -- woman-positive and no moony romance. I haven't been to an opening weekend movie in a long time and I hope it works out!

Daily Declutter

I got an item shipped for ebay today. That's about all the decluttering I was up for. I didn't increase clutter, though, so that's something.

As I was driving my son to school this morning I noticed that one of the main branches of our peach tree had split. A few years ago the same thing happened, and the tree healed after we wrapped it, so I spent a good part of the morning wrapping the tree, and pruning branches that were weighing the tree down. There might be a metaphor here that I could use, something about having too much, even too much of a good thing, can be destructive. Hmmmm.

However, with the aid of my valiant daughter (seriously, the break was above my head. My arms are aching from holding the branch up, and my 5-foot-1 daughter had to do most of the wrapping above her head as well. However, we rescued a number of peaches that are almost ripe, and they will ripen as best they can, and they will go into cobbler next week.

I stopped by the store on my way home from my husband's school; it's not my usual day shopping, but I haven't gotten birthday gifts for two nieces whose birthdays we are celebrating tomorrow. I went into the store with minimal inspiration, and came out with the foundations for two gifts. One niece will get an Oreo/lunch package (lunch bag, package of Oreos, Oreo box, something else I haven't figured out) and the other one will receive a beach bag (bag, beach towel, sunscreen, chapstick, maybe flipflops). They're both on their own this year, so I figure they can use a lot of adult essentials, but packaged to be fun. After all, they're not going to want to buy lunch or sunscreen, but they're going to need it, and they can spend their money on things that are more fun instead. I bought a pair of shorts for my daughter, but I did not get anything else for me. I did not get the grey linen blouse I almost bought, because I knew I would never actually wear it (I wanted it to be white, but it just wasn't). I'm feeling pretty pleased that I recognized that I would not wear the blouse, and I did not bring home clutter.

School is wrapping up for both my husband and my kids, so we have lots to do in the coming week. However, after that summer is here and we will be free! Today we have an event at my husband's school. I am realizing that simplifying, minimalizing, my schedule is difficult because I'm the mom. Even if I minimalize my schedule I still have to facilitate everyone else's schedule. I'm going to still try to streamline everyone's schedule, so I can drop off one person to the way to another event, but I don't want people to miss out on the end-of-the-year pool party just because I'm trying to reduce my own schedule. (On the other hand, people do have to limit their own commitments so they know how to balance their time. I don't have a perfect answer for this, and I may not get one while the kids are still living at home, and especially if they aren't driving. I guess it gives me something else to work on. In case I run out of physical clutter.)